You have submitted your thesis, or you are about to, and the question in front of you is simple: what next? In India "postdoc" is not one thing. It can be a national fellowship that you carry to a lab of your choice, an institute fellowship paid by an IIT, IISc or IISER, a council fellowship from ICMR or ICSSR, or a Research Associate (RA) post inside somebody else's project. They pay differently, they have different age limits, and some of them let you apply before your degree is awarded while others will reject you for exactly that.
This guide puts the main routes side by side for PhD holders and thesis submitters. Every amount, age limit and rule below comes from the official scheme page or guideline of the body that runs it: the ANRF N-PDF page, ICMR's post-doctoral research page, ICSSR's 2026-27 guidelines, IISc's fellowship page, IIT Bombay's IPDF page, IIT Madras's IPDF guidelines (May 2026) and an IISER Bhopal IPDF advertisement from April 2026. We read them on 7 November 2026. Where something is our advice and not an official rule, we say so. Where we could not confirm a date or an amount from an official document, we have left it out rather than guess.
RA pay under the DST rules is not repeated here. For RA-I, RA-II and RA-III rates and how HRA works, read our guide JRF vs SRF vs Project Associate vs RA.
At a glance: India's main postdoc routes
| Scheme | Who runs it / where you work | Key eligibility | Monthly amount | Extra grant / HRA | Duration | Age limit | When to apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANRF National Post-Doctoral Fellowship (N-PDF) | ANRF; any recognised institution in India, with a mentor you choose | PhD/MD/MS, or thesis submitted; at least 2 published papers; within 5 years of PhD viva; not with your PhD guide or in your PhD department/institution | ₹80,000; ₹50,000 until the degree is awarded | Applicable HRA; research grant ₹2,00,000 a year; overheads ₹1,00,000 a year | 2 years | 35 on the call's closing date; +5 years for SC/ST/OBC/PwD and women | When ANRF opens a call on anrfonline.in; usually a one-month window |
| ICMR Centenary Post-Doctoral Fellowship | ICMR; at an ICMR institute or centre | PhD/MD/MS awarded (provisional degree accepted) within 3 years; work must continue the PhD topic; thesis-submitted not accepted | ₹65,000 consolidated | HRA as per GoI rules; NPA if admissible; contingency ₹3 lakh a year | Not stated on the ICMR page | 32 on the last date; +5 years for SC/ST/OBC/PH and women | When ICMR issues a call; the last call on its page ran 1–28 Feb 2023 |
| IISc Post-Doctoral Fellowship (IPDF) | IISc Bengaluru, with a host faculty member | PhD, first class in the preceding degree; thesis-submitted can apply; OCI and foreign nationals eligible | ₹80,000; ₹50,000 before the defence | Applicable HRA; research grant ₹2 lakh a year (none before the defence) | 1 year, extension of 1 year after review | Preferably under 32 | Any time; reviewed on 30 June and 31 December |
| IIT Bombay Institute PDF | IIT Bombay departments and centres | Fresh PhD, under 2 years' experience, or thesis submitted; IITB's own PhDs not eligible | ₹80,000 consolidated | HRA as per GoI (currently 30%); contingency ₹1,00,000 a year | 1 year, extendable by 2 more | Preferably under 32 (GoI relaxation) | No last date |
| IIT Madras Institute PDF | IIT Madras, nominated by a faculty mentor | Within 5 years of PhD; two Q1 papers as primary contributor; thesis-submitted can apply | ₹1,30,000 consolidated (₹70,000 institute + at least ₹60,000 from the mentor's projects) | Contingency ₹2,00,000 a year; no HRA or accommodation | 1 year, extendable up to 2 more (minimum 2 years) | 32 by joining; +5 SC/ST and women, +3 OBC-NCL | Throughout the year |
| IISER Bhopal IPDF (one Physics advert, April 2026) | IISER Bhopal department | PhD in the stated area; thesis-submitted can apply | ₹67,000; ₹35,000 until the degree | HRA as per institute rules; no accommodation | 1 year + 1 | Preference below 35 | Per advert (this one closed 8 May 2026) |
| ICSSR Post-Doctoral Fellowship | ICSSR; affiliated to an eligible university or institute | PhD degree in hand at the time of applying; supervisor at least Associate Professor | ₹31,000 | Contingency ₹25,000 a year | 2 years, no extension | 45 on the last date; +5 SC/ST/PwBD | Annual call; 2026-27 call ran 22 June to 12 August 2026 (after extension) |
| Research Associate (RA-I/II/III) in a project | A PI's funded project | PhD (some adverts take thesis-submitted at a lower rate) | See our RA guide (DST OM, 26 June 2023) | HRA as per rules | Tied to the project | Set by each advert | Rolling, short deadlines |
Read this first: three things most people learn too late
1. The thesis-submitted rule is different in every scheme
This is the single biggest source of rejections. ANRF N-PDF, IISc, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras and the IISER Bhopal advert all let you apply once your thesis is submitted. But the pay before your degree is lower: ₹50,000 instead of ₹80,000 at ANRF and IISc, ₹35,000 instead of ₹67,000 in the IISER Bhopal advert. IISc also gives no research grant until you defend, and counts the waiting period inside your one-year term. IIT Madras and IISER Bhopal want the provisional or final degree within six months of joining, or the appointment can be cancelled.
ICMR goes the other way. Its page says in plain words that a viva-voce or thesis-submitted notification will not be considered; you need the degree or a provisional degree by the last date. ICSSR also requires the PhD degree at the time of application. So if your viva is months away, ICMR and ICSSR are not yet open to you, while N-PDF and institute fellowships may be.
2. N-PDF is a fellowship you bring to a host, not a job you apply for
Nobody advertises an N-PDF position. You find a mentor first, the mentor registers on anrfonline.in, the mentor and the head of the host institution sign an endorsement, and only then can you submit. The mentor cannot be your PhD guide or co-guide, and you cannot hold the fellowship in the department or institution where you did your PhD. A mentor can send at most two applications in a call and cannot take you if they already have two running N-PDFs. ANRF also says that once results are declared, you cannot change the mentor or the institute, and you must join within three months. Choose the host carefully before you apply, because you are locked in.
One more line in the N-PDF eligibility catches people: candidates who have applied in the past for regular ANRF grants such as PM ECRG, ARG or IRG are not eligible for N-PDF. If you once applied for an early-career grant, check this before you spend weeks on a proposal.
3. An RA post and a postdoctoral fellowship are different contracts
A Research Associate is hired on a PI's project. Your pay comes from the project budget, your work is the project's work, and your term ends when the project or its manpower budget ends. A fellowship such as N-PDF or an institute PDF is awarded to you. It comes with your own research grant or contingency and, in N-PDF's case, your own research proposal. N-PDF does not allow research staff to be hired under it and expects you to do the work yourself. Neither is "better" in every case: an RA post can be quicker to get and can pay well, while a fellowship looks stronger on a faculty application because you won it on your own proposal. Read the offer letter to see which one you are signing.
Each scheme explained
ANRF National Post-Doctoral Fellowship (N-PDF)
ANRF (Anusandhan National Research Foundation, which took over SERB's schemes) runs N-PDF for science and engineering, and also accepts MD/MS holders in medicine. The aim, in ANRF's words, is to help young researchers develop as independent researchers under a mentor.
- Money: ₹80,000 a month plus applicable HRA. If you have only submitted your thesis, ₹50,000 plus HRA until the degree is awarded. On top of that, a research grant of ₹2,00,000 a year for minor equipment, consumables, contingencies and travel within India, and ₹1,00,000 a year as overheads to the host. The fellowship is taxable.
- Who: Indian citizens with a PhD, MD or MS from a recognised university, or a submitted thesis. You need at least two published papers by the time you apply. You must apply within five years of your PhD viva-voce, and you can hold N-PDF only once in your career.
- Age: 35 years, counted on the closing date of the call, with five years' relaxation for SC, ST, OBC, persons with disability and women.
- Duration: two years, in India only. You cannot take another fellowship or salary at the same time. If you need to be away from the host for more than eight weeks at a stretch (other than fieldwork), you need ANRF's consent.
- Application: online on anrfonline.in. You type the title (up to 500 characters), summary (3,000), objectives (1,500), expected outcome (1,500) and up to six keywords, and upload the methodology and research plan as one PDF of no more than three pages.
- Timing: ANRF announces each call on its portal. Its FAQ says a one-month window is usual and results take at least two months after the last date. We could not confirm the dates of the next call from an official page, so we are not giving one. Check the "Ongoing" and "Upcoming" call lists on anrfonline.in.
ICMR Centenary Post-Doctoral Fellowship
ICMR's scheme places fresh PhD, MD and MS holders in ICMR's own institutes and centres for biomedical research. ICMR says it intends to offer up to 50 such fellowships a year.
- Money: a consolidated ₹65,000 a month (from 31 July 2020 under ICMR's order of that date) plus HRA as per government rules, non-practising allowance where admissible, and a contingency grant of ₹3 lakh a year. Up to 25% of the contingency can be spent on national travel for the project. If the host gives you accommodation, HRA is not paid.
- Who: Indian nationals within three years of the PhD/MD/MS degree being awarded, counted on the last date; a provisional degree counts. Thesis-submitted or viva notifications do not.
- Research topic: the proposed work must be a continuation of your PhD work, or ICMR will not consider the application. This is the opposite of ICSSR and IIT Madras, which do not want your PhD repeated.
- Guide: at an ICMR institute, at least Scientist-C level. The application goes through the host institute, and the institute Director must recommend it.
- Age: 32 on the last date; five years' relaxation for SC/ST/OBC/PH and women; up to three more years for deserving candidates on the Director's request.
- Selection: interview at ICMR Headquarters, New Delhi, based on research experience, publications, citations and impact factor.
- Timing: the call on ICMR's page is the one that ran from 1 to 28 February 2023 (hard copy, by 5:30 pm). The page has not shown a newer call. Watch the same page and ICMR's "What's New" list. The page does not state the fellowship's duration, so we do not either.
Institute postdoctoral fellowships: IISc, IITs and IISERs
Each institute sets its own rules, and they differ more than most people expect. Here are the ones we checked.
IISc Bengaluru (IPDF). ₹80,000 a month plus HRA and a research grant of ₹2 lakh a year. If you have not yet defended, ₹50,000 plus HRA and no research grant, and the whole appointment, including that waiting time, is one year, with a one-year extension considered after evaluation. You need a first class in the degree before the PhD and should preferably be under 32. Before applying on the portal you must get written consent (a letter or email) from an IISc faculty member who will host you. You send a CV, two to five papers, a research plan of up to 500 words and your degree or thesis-submission certificate. Applications are accepted any time but reviewed twice a year, on 30 June and 31 December, with a decision within about six weeks of each date. OCI and foreign nationals can apply.
IIT Bombay (IPDF). ₹80,000 consolidated plus HRA as per government norms (the page says currently 30%), and a non-lapsable contingency grant of ₹1,00,000 a year. One year at first, extendable by two more. Open to fresh PhDs, those with less than two years' experience after the PhD, and thesis submitters awaiting examination; preferably under 32. There is no last date. You send the application form to the head of the department or centre. IIT Bombay's own PhD students are not eligible. The institute supports one international conference during the fellowship and one national conference a year.
IIT Madras (IPDF, guidelines of May 2026). The most generous institute rate we found: ₹1,30,000 a month consolidated, made of ₹70,000 from the institute and at least ₹60,000 topped up from the mentor's project funds, plus ₹2,00,000 a year for travel, contingency and consumables. There is no HRA or institute accommodation. You need two Q1 journal papers as primary contributor, must be within five years of the PhD, and must be 32 or younger on joining (five years' relaxation for SC/ST and women, three for OBC-NCL). The faculty member nominates you and signs a fund commitment, so in practice you apply through the mentor by email. The second-year renewal needs at least one manuscript from work done at IIT Madras.
IISER Bhopal (one IPDF advert, April 2026). We include this to show that IISER rates are set per advert and can be lower than IIT or IISc rates: ₹67,000 plus HRA, ₹35,000 plus HRA for thesis submitters, one year plus one, no accommodation, compulsory personal medical insurance of at least ₹1 lakh, and teaching assistance expected. That advert closed on 8 May 2026. Other IISERs advertise department by department, so read each notice.
ICSSR Post-Doctoral Fellowship (social sciences)
ICSSR, under the Ministry of Education, funds postdocs in the social sciences, with a long list of priority areas published each year, from public finance and governance to Indian Knowledge Systems and media studies.
- Money: ₹31,000 a month and a contingency grant of ₹25,000 a year, for two years, with no extension. It is taxable and paid through your affiliating institution in instalments tied to progress reports.
- Who: Indian citizens holding a PhD at the time of applying, up to 45 years of age on the last date (50 for SC/ST/PwBD). You must affiliate to a public-funded university, college with a PhD programme, ICSSR institute or similar, and work under a serving faculty member who is at least an Associate Professor.
- Rules to know: the work must not be the same as your PhD; you must publish at least two papers in peer-reviewed journals during the fellowship and submit a book-length final report with a 3,000–4,000-word summary, with a similarity index of 10% or less. You cannot hold another fellowship, project or regular job at the same time, and if you leave early you may have to refund the fellowship.
- Timing: once a year. The 2026-27 call opened on 22 June 2026 with a last date of 21 July, later extended to 12 August 2026. Expect the next call around the middle of 2027, but go by ICSSR's announcement.
Research Associate posts and project postdocs
Most PhD holders in India start with an RA post or a project-funded "post-doctoral fellow" post, because these are advertised every week and fill fast. Our open listings right now include an IIT Roorkee Post-Doctoral Fellow post at ₹80,000 a month, an IIT Indore RA/Postdoctoral Fellow post in Mathematics at ₹62,000, a BRIC-NBRC Manesar RA-I post at ₹58,000 plus HRA, an AIIMS Delhi RA-III post at ₹67,000 plus HRA and a University of Allahabad Visvesvaraya postdoctoral fellowship in Electronics and IT. Each has its own last date, so open the listing and the official notice. For RA pay levels, see our RA pay guide.
Notice the spread: the same word "postdoc" covers ₹58,000 plus HRA, ₹62,000 flat, ₹80,000 and more. Always look at whether HRA is extra, whether there is a research grant, and how long the project has left to run.
How to choose a host and write the proposal (our advice)
None of the points in this section are official rules. They are what we would tell a friend.
- Pick the problem, then the person, then the place. A host whose group already has the equipment, data or field access your idea needs will let you publish in two years. A famous name with no room in the lab will not.
- Look for something new you will learn. N-PDF bars your PhD department, IIT Madras and ICSSR do not want a copy of your PhD. A new method or system makes you a stronger faculty candidate. ICMR is the exception: there, the work must continue your PhD.
- Write a short, specific email. Two or three lines on who you are, one paragraph on the idea and why it fits their group, your CV and two best papers attached. Ask clearly whether they would host you for N-PDF or the institute PDF, and whether they still have a free N-PDF slot.
- Check the mentor's limits early. For N-PDF, a mentor with two ongoing fellows cannot take you, and can submit only two applications per call. For IIT Madras, the mentor must commit at least ₹60,000 a month from project funds; ask whether that money exists.
- Write the proposal to fit the format. N-PDF gives you three pages for methods and plan. IISc gives 500 words. Use them for: the question, why it matters, what you will do in year one and year two, what could go wrong and your fallback, and what papers you expect. Reviewers read many proposals; a clear timeline stands out.
- Apply to more than one route. An institute IPDF and an N-PDF application can run at the same time, but you can only hold one fellowship. If both come through, you choose one and decline the other in writing.
Timeline: from thesis submission to joining
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 3–6 months before thesis submission | Shortlist 5–8 possible hosts. Email them. Keep two papers published or accepted, because N-PDF needs two published papers and IIT Madras two Q1 papers. |
| At thesis submission | Get the thesis submission certificate from your university. Apply for IISc IPDF (before 30 June or 31 December), IIT Bombay IPDF (no last date) and IIT Madras IPDF through the mentor. Apply for N-PDF if a call is open. Start applying for RA posts. |
| Viva-voce | Keep the viva intimation letter or a letter from your Dean/Director; N-PDF asks for proof of the viva date, because the five-year window counts from it. |
| Provisional degree | Now ICMR and ICSSR calls are open to you. Send the degree to any institute that hired you at the lower thesis-submitted rate, so the full rate starts. |
| Result | ANRF results usually come at least two months after the last date. IISc decides within about six weeks of each review date. |
| Joining | N-PDF: join within three months of the result. Submit a joining report through the mentor. Keep relieving certificates if you are leaving an RA post. |
Documents to keep ready
- CV with a complete publication list, and PDFs of your two to five best papers.
- PhD degree, provisional degree or thesis submission certificate, plus proof of the viva date.
- Date-of-birth proof (Class X certificate) and category certificate if you claim age relaxation.
- Research proposal in the scheme's own format (N-PDF: three pages; IISc: 500 words; ICMR: proposal, a one-page thesis summary and a five-slide presentation).
- Host consent or endorsement: IISc needs a consent email or letter; N-PDF needs an endorsement signed by the mentor and the head of the institution, plus the mentor's CV; ICMR needs the host Director's recommendation.
- Undertakings and a plagiarism declaration (N-PDF); a plagiarism report verified by ICMR's Research Integrity Officer (ICMR).
- Referee letters where asked: ICMR wants testimonials from two referees, one of them your PhD guide.
Common mistakes
- Applying to ICMR or ICSSR with only a thesis-submission certificate. Both need the degree.
- Naming your PhD guide, or a colleague in your PhD department, as the N-PDF mentor.
- Assuming the "₹80,000" in a headline is what you get from day one. Before the degree, many schemes pay ₹50,000 or less.
- Comparing a flat amount with an amount "plus HRA". At 30% HRA, ₹80,000 plus HRA is more than ₹1 lakh a month; IIT Madras's ₹1,30,000 has no HRA at all.
- Missing the age date. N-PDF counts age on the call's closing date; IIT Madras on your joining date; ICMR and ICSSR on the last date of application.
- Taking an RA post and then applying for N-PDF without reading the rule that you cannot draw another salary during the fellowship. You will need to resign the RA post before you join.
- Leaving the endorsement to the last day. The head of the institution has to sign, and that office does not work on your deadline.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for a postdoc after submitting my thesis but before the viva?
Yes, for ANRF N-PDF, IISc, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras and some IISER adverts, at a lower rate until the degree arrives. No, for ICMR and ICSSR, which need the degree (ICMR accepts a provisional degree).
What does N-PDF pay in 2026?
₹80,000 a month plus applicable HRA after the degree, ₹50,000 plus HRA before it, with a ₹2 lakh research grant a year. These are the figures on ANRF's N-PDF page as of November 2026.
What is the age limit for N-PDF?
35 years on the closing date of the call, 40 for SC, ST, OBC, persons with disability and women. You must also be within five years of your PhD viva.
Can I do N-PDF at the same institute where I did my PhD?
No. ANRF does not allow it in the same department or institution, and not with your PhD guide or co-guide.
When does the next N-PDF call open?
ANRF announces it on anrfonline.in. We could not confirm a date from an official page, so check the portal's ongoing and upcoming calls. The FAQ says calls usually stay open for about a month.
Is the ICMR PDF still running?
The scheme page is live and was updated in January 2026, but the call it shows is from February 2023. Keep watching the page; do not rely on dates from elsewhere.
Which pays more, an IIT postdoc or an RA post?
It depends on the institute. IIT Bombay and IISc pay ₹80,000 plus HRA; IIT Madras pays ₹1,30,000 without HRA. RA-I under the DST rules is ₹58,000 plus HRA. Check our RA guide for the levels.
Can I hold two fellowships together?
No. N-PDF, ICSSR and others bar another fellowship or salary during the tenure.
Is the postdoc fellowship taxable?
ANRF and ICSSR both say yes, as per income-tax rules. Talk to the host's accounts office about deductions.
I am a social scientist. Is ICSSR my only option?
It is the main national one. Institute fellowships are another route: IISc, for example, lists Management Studies among the departments that take IPDF applicants, and IIT Bombay's IPDF is open across its departments, centres and schools. Check the department list on each institute's page.
Official sources
- ANRF: National Post Doctoral Fellowship (N-PDF) scheme page and FAQ, anrfonline.in (eligibility, budget table, application and FAQ sections).
- ICMR: Post Doctoral Research page (Centenary PDF), sections 1 to 7, page updated 21 January 2026.
- ICSSR: Call for Applications for Postdoctoral Fellowship 2026 and Guidelines for Post-Doctoral Fellowship 2026-27 (sections 2, 5, 7, 8 and 10, pages 9 to 13).
- IISc: Post-Doctoral Fellowship page.
- IIT Bombay: Institute Post-Doctoral Fellows page.
- IIT Madras: Institute Post Doctoral Fellowship Guidelines (May 2026).
- IISER Bhopal: Advertisement for Institute Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Physics (April 2026).
- DST OM of 26 June 2023 on JRF/SRF/RA emoluments, summarised in our RA guide.
Rules and amounts change, sometimes without much notice. Always read the latest page or PDF of the scheme before you apply.
